Illinois Human Rights Act: Employer Coverage and Duties

The Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA, 775 ILCS 5) is the state's main anti-discrimination law for jobs. Charges are investigated by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR). The Human Rights Commission rules on complaints, and suits are heard in court after the IDHR stage. This page is for owners of Illinois businesses with Canada or India ties, such as a Toronto-owned company hiring in Aurora.

Slide show: Human Rights Act: seven quick slides

What it is
Illinois's main job anti-discrimination law, run by IDHR.
Who it affects
Private employers with an employee in Illinois for 20 or more weeks. One employee is enough for sexual harassment and pregnancy claims.
The rule
No bias in hiring, pay, discipline or firing on protected grounds, including family responsibilities since 2025.
The number
Filing an IDHR charge: 2 years. It was 300 days before 2025.
The deadline
Train every employee on sexual harassment prevention each year. Report any final adverse judgment from the prior year by July 1.
The penalty
Missed training or reports can cost a maximum of $1,000, $3,000 or $5,000 after a 30-day warning, for employers with 4 or more employees.
The tip
From June 1, 2027, criteria with a discriminatory effect are unlawful unless job related and consistent with business necessity, or if a less discriminatory option could serve the need.

Who does the Illinois Human Rights Act cover?

Group	Coverage
Private employers	At least one employee in Illinois for 20 or more calendar weeks, counting the year of the violation or the year before
Any size	Sexual harassment, pregnancy, and disability claims unrelated to ability; state and local government; parties to public contracts
Training duty	Statute: any employer that has employees working in Illinois. IDHR's own page says more than one employee, so a one-person business should confirm with IDHR
Religious bodies	May prefer people of their religion for work tied to their activities
Matters IDHR does not take	Wage and overtime disputes (IDOL); federal employees (EEOC)

What it means for a foreign-owned or cross-border business

Situation	What the law says	What to check
Small Illinois company owned from abroad	One employee suffices for harassment, pregnancy and some disability claims; others need the 20-week test	Weekly headcount
Visa-holding or foreign-born staff	Protected grounds include national origin, ancestry, citizenship status and work authorization status	Job ads, screening questions, pay; status questions go to an immigration attorney
Teams speaking Hindi, Gujarati, French or other languages	An employer may not bar native language in talk unrelated to duties	Any English-only rule
Contractors and consultants on site	Protected from harassment on the job	Onboarding and a complaint route
Hiring software run by a parent company	AI used in hiring, promotion, discipline or discharge must not have a discriminatory effect, and employees must be told (since January 1, 2026)	Which tools touch Illinois jobs; coverage is a legal question

The federal counterpart is Title VII; Cook County has its own Human Rights Ordinance. New employers can start with the US employer compliance checklist.

Where to go next

The rules and checklist page has dates, penalties and the Seven-Spoke Fair-Work Wheel. For first-hire payroll, see hiring US employees from abroad and our Illinois payroll guide.

Official sources

This page summarizes public guidance in plain language. If anything here differs from the official source, the official source controls.

Please read: general information only

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Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) Guide for Employers

What it is

Who it affects

The rule

The number

The deadline

The penalty

The tip

Who does the Illinois Human Rights Act cover?

What it means for a foreign-owned or cross-border business

Where to go next

Official sources

Related guides

Illinois Human Rights Act Checklist and Deadlines

US Employer Compliance Checklist: Registrations, Payroll Taxes and I-9 (2026)

Illinois Payroll: Withholding, Unemployment Insurance and New-Hire Reporting

Hiring US Employees from Abroad: Payroll, Work Authorization and Visa Basics

Illinois Employer Registration: IDOR Withholding, IDES Unemployment, New Hire Reporting and Workers' Comp

Payroll and Employer Compliance Services for Illinois Employers